Our hard work is paying off, and our schools are showing results to prove it.

More students in Louisiana, and more African American students in particular, are:

● Scoring Mastery and above on state ELA, math, and social studies assessments;

● Earning qualifying scores on Advanced Placement assessments;

● Scoring 21 and above on the ACT;

● Graduating from high school in four years and with early college credit and industry career credentials;

● Eligible for TOPS scholarships; and,

● Enrolling in college.

Advanced Placement (2017-18)

● The number of students earning qualifying scores increased 12 percent since last year and nearly 167 percent since 2012. In 2018, 7,330 students earned scores high enough to obtain college course credit. In 2017, 6,519 students earned those marks. In 2012, just 2,747 made the cut.

● African-American students saw dramatic increases in performance. Of all test takers, 884 African-American students earned qualifying scores of 3, 4, or 5, a jump of nearly 13 percent since 2017 and of 236 percent since 2012.

ACT (2017-18)

● The number of students earning a college-going score of at least 18 has increased by 7,366, a 40 percent increase since 2012, and the number of students scoring 21 or above (college readiness benchmark) has increased by 4,246, a 37 percent increase.

● Among African American students, the number of students scoring 18 and above increased by 2,511 students, and the number of students scoring 21 and above by 1,115 students, since 2012. That’s a 33 and 34 percent jump, respectively, over time.

Graduation (2017-18)

● The state’s high school cohort graduation rate increased from 78.2 percent in 2017 to 81.4 percent in 2018. The graduation rate has improved 9.1 percentage points since 2012, a faster pace over time than the national growth of only 4.6 percentage points. Louisiana graduated 40,124 students last year, up from 39,395 in 2017 and 35,332 in 2012.

● Louisiana’s African-American graduation rate is, for the first time, higher than the national average. More than 78 percent of African-American students graduated in this cohort, up from 72.9 percent in 2017 and nearly 66 percent in 2013. The latest average national graduation rate is 77.8 percent.

College and Career Credentials (2017-18)

● The number of graduates earning early college credit and industry career credentials valued in high-wage industries climbed since the previous year, from 23,932 to 24,835. The number of graduates earning such credits and credentials has climbed by 6,385 since 2013. The percent of Louisiana’s graduation cohort earning college and career credentials increased from 47.5 percent in 2017 to 50.4 percent in 2018, and the credential rate has improved by 12.9 percentage points since 2013.

● The percent of African American students in the graduation cohort earning college and career credentials increased from 35.3 percent in 2017 to 38.5 percent in 2018, and the credential rate has improved by 12 percentage points since 2013.

TOPS Eligibility

● The Class of 2018 saw growth in the number of students who were eligible for TOPS scholarships. Whereas in 2012, 16,289 students were eligible for a TOPS award, in 2018, 21,280 students were eligible for the award, a 31 percent increase.

● The number of African American students eligible for TOPS scholarships increased by 1,569 students, from 4,927 in 2012 to 6,496 in 2018, an increase of 32 percent.

College Enrollment (2017-18)

● A record 25,083 public high school graduates from the Class of 2018 enrolled in college in the fall immediately following graduation, an increase of 1,566 over the Class of 2017 and an increase of 4,626 over the Class of 2012. The number of graduates attending higher education after graduating from high school has increased by 23 percent since 2012.

● The number of historically disadvantaged graduates enrolling in college has significantly increased over time. Over 2,500 more students of color, nearly 5,000 more economically disadvantaged students, and 400 more students with disabilities enrolled in college in 2018 than did in 2012.